Photographs
by Ashleighisntclever
Summary: This is based off of Ed Sheeran's Photograph and it takes place after Wally's death and Artemis is reminded of some memories through a scrapbook. Spitfire. Artemis is slightly OOC in some places, but I like to believe she's different with Wally.
1. Chapter 1

Artemis was sitting on the couch of _their_ house in Palo Alto, crying once again and didn't really know how to stop it. Everyday it was the same routine, wake up on the couch, eat a small breakfast, cry, get a call from Dick, pet Nelson, watch TV, hug Wally's pillow, cry, get a call from Zee, and then go back to sleep on the couch. Artemis had no idea of how to move on from this, she was considering moving, but that just felt like she was leaving Wally. She couldn't even sleep in _their_ bed, every time she would wake up in the middle of the night and reach for him, but he wouldn't be there so eventually she stopped being in that room all together. Artemis just wanted it to get easier, that's what the Team keeps saying every time she visits the Watchtower, but it never feels like it will get better. Artemis said that she would still be a hero and fight on, that's what Wally would want for her, but she also selfishly thought that he would want to be here with her.

Artemis didn't want to be a hero without Wally, as Artemis or Tigress. It wouldn't feel right, she became a hero and the second she did she met Wally, she has only _ever_ been a hero with Wally on the same team, now he's not on any team. Artemis didn't want to think about much tonight though, tonight marked the one month since Wally… died. It wasn't something she would dwell over, well she wouldn't try to dwell over it, but it was hard not to. Wally was her first love, her only love, how does she move on from that? Artemis just sat on the couch that she had come to call her "bed", she knew it would never be as comfortable as the one in _their_ room, but this was her moving on. She had his pillow clutched against her face and Nelson at the foot of the couch and that's all she needed, right? If that's true then why has her gaze been shifting to the scrapbook M'gann made them for their fourth year anniversary? Reluctantly, Artemis lifted up the book and flipped it to the first page.

There on the first page was a picture of her covered in whipped cream and pie crust, all over her face. Wally stood in front of her, holding a towel, close enough that she could see his eyelashes. Multiple tears fell down her face as she remembered the moment.

" _How do you accidentally throw a pie into someones face?" Artemis screeched at Wally as she stared at him with a glare that could scare Batman. Wally stuttered, not knowing what to say as he stared down at the very,_ very, _frightening Artemis. "Um…" Artemis looked into his eyes and glared harder, which Wally didn't even know was possible. "So you accidentally have a pie filled with whipped cream in your hand and you stand in the same place and_ wait _for me to come down the hall and you 'trip' and aim the pie perfectly into my face?" Wally shrugged and smirked slightly, he had a plan, a very, very bad plan, but a plan. It had been two weeks since their kiss on the Watchtower and he was tired of the awkward silences, the withering stares, and the weird stares from the Team he was going to stop it, fix it._

 _Artemis groaned in frustration and started to stomp off when Wally grabbed her arm and pulled her back, pushing her hip gently against the counter, their eyes locked and she suddenly felt paralyzed. "Let me, I promise I won't get any whipped cream in your eye." Wally held a hopeful smile across his face as he wiped some pie off her face and licked it off his finger. "A little late for that, Baywatch." He chuckled but moved closer, his legs in between hers and he moved even closer, taking a towel from behind her and began to wipe all the whipped cream from her face. He was so distracted by his heart beating so loud he swore she heard it, he didn't even see how she was staring at him. "Wally." It wasn't even a question, almost an earnest way just to get him to look at her. He caught her eye and realized she had been staring in his green eyes the whole time,_ his beautiful green eyes _. Artemis couldn't help staring into them, just as he was staring into her gray ones. They had a moment right then, one that she didn't know what to make of, yes, they did have that kiss, but nothings happened since then and she was getting impatient,_ so _impatient. Wally broke the stare and continued working on cleaning off her face, leaving one small bit of whipped cream on her cheek, purposely leaning down and kissing it off the side of her face and then brought his eyes back to hers and slowly,_ slowly _, he moved closer wrapping his arms around her waist and she placed one hand on the side of his face and the other at the nape of his neck. Wally then gently placed his lips on hers and she felt him smirk as she made a content sound, but sadly the kiss was short lived as they pulled away. "You can't just do that! You can't just kiss me like that, it's been-" Wally cut her off saying, "Two weeks, eighteen hours, fifty-seven minutes, and fifteen, sixteen, seventeen seconds." Artemis stared up at him, completely oblivious, "You've been counting?" He shrugged and she just sighed back, mumbling something about him really being a nerd. "Wally, we can't do this. You can't keep pulling me around like this, I don't even know-" She was cut off again by Wally asking, "Will you go on a date with me?"_

 _She smiled, but soon the smile was erased from her face as it soon turned serious, she looked away, trying to hide her tears, but that didn't stop Wally from seeing it, "I can't." Then she was gone, running down the hallway and he didn't even try to go after her. Too shocked to figure anything out Wally just kept staring at the now empty hallway. Artemis didn't know what to think, what to do, how they would get passed this. She was just complaining about him not doing anything and now here she was in the communal bathroom, gripping the sink until her knuckles turned white. She needed this, the Team and if she got in a relationship with Wally, what would happen then? The Team was her family, her home and she didn't want to mess that up._

 _Artemis looked into the mirror, tears streaming down her face._ _ **Weak**_ _. She always heard her father's voice in her head, haunting her, judging her and if he was here right now she would be on the floor unconscious by now. Emotions are a weakness, never an advantage. They break you and only get in the way of a mission. Artemis groaned and punched the mirror she was staring at, but as she pulled away Wally was standing in the reflection. "Artemis!" Wally walked up to her and grabbed her wrist before she could protest and examined her hand, glass shards and blood all over it. Before she realized she was being dragged in super speed to the med-bay._

" _Kid Protective, really I'm fine. Promise." Wally didn't respond as he lifted her up and onto the bench, starting to gather supplies to bandage her and remove the glass. He started to work on her wounds as he started to get angrier and angrier. "What the hell, Arty?" She shrugged and he shook his head, not knowing how to respond to that in a polite manner. "Y'know, I've always wanted a home?" Wally looked at her as he heard her words, suddenly very curious. "I mean, yeah I have my mom and that's pretty cool, but she was in jail most of my life and my dad, well you know how that turned out. I guess I'm trying to say is that, I feel like I finally found it, in you, in the Team and I_ really _don't want to mess that up." She chuckled slightly at his smirking face before smacking him upside his head. "I just don't want to mess it up and what if we do date and then it ends badly?" Wally looked up at her from her hand and smiled his "flirting smile", "It won't. Wanna know how I know that?" She shrugged as he continued, "Because I'm charmingly handsome. And… you're hot. So, I think it will be just fine." He smirked right before he got hit again._

" _I'm serious! What if my dad shows up and tries to hurt the Team, hurt you. Just because I'm attached to you guys. He used to tell me emotions are a weakness, you guys are my home and that's an emotion, love. If you haven't realized." Wally finally finished and took both of her hands in his and smiled it up at her. "We're super heroes, shit happens, Beautiful. Weird shit sometimes, but we'll get through it and to be honest if your dad kidnaps me and I punch him in the face at least once before I die, I'll feel pretty good, 'cause he's a dick." She smiled before he continued, "And about the other stuff, if we're a home, to you, then all you have to do is wait. My mom used to say, 'If ever you get down or upset, just wait. Family will always be there. I will always be there. Wait for me to come home.' I always believed in that, so just wait. I promise."_

 _Artemis looked up at him smiled, hugging him, quickly. "So, I'm gonna ask again, Will you go on a date with me?" She nodded and seconds later his lips were crushed against hers._

Artemis smiled at the memory as more tears fell down her face as she hugged the pillow that was already losing the smell of him. Sandwiches and his favorite cologne, which she used to hate, but now she would give anything just to have it on him and near her for just one more minute. Artemis flipped through more pictures as her eyes landed on the one from their first date, which was probably taken by a trolling Dick, pun intended. Most of these were taken that way, but the memory just made her cry more and more.

" _Tada!" Artemis looked around at the blanket spread across the sand and the candles around the picnic basket, but then her face turned serious and she turned back to Wally. "Are you aware that you just said tada?" Wally flicked her arm before guiding her to the blanket as they sat together and he handed her various foods and many beverages. "So did I do good?" She looked at him as they had just finished eating and they were laying next to each other, his arms around her as they stared at the stars. "You mean, after it took you two more weeks after you asked me out to actually plan anything and M'gann made all the food besides the sandwiches. Oh yeah, top notch." He chuckled, but kissed her temple and suddenly sat up, "I got you something." She sat up, intrigued by the thought of a present. Wally held it up, right in front of her face. "It's a necklace." Wally glared at her, "Not just any necklace, it's a heart-shaped locket." He opened it to show her a picture of the whole team, but really it was just a close up of her and Wally with Robin in the corner making a face… almost like he knew. "Wally this is so sweet. Thank You." She leaned over to kiss him and he kissed back whole heartedly. "This way if we can't come to you immediately you will always have your home with you while you wait for us." Artemis surprisingly attacked him and kissed him while he laughed._

Artemis clutched the heart-shaped necklace around her neck that she has worn everyday since and she was sobbing now, as she turned the page and looked at the picture of their first kiss and a sob racked her body.

" _I should have done this a long time ago."_

" _No kidding."_

She stared at the picture for a few minutes as she continued to sob until she heard a knock at the door. Artemis slowly got up and walked to the door, remembering every single moment with Wally and as she opened the door, there he was.

"Wait for me to come home."


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you? How are you? What?" Artemis stuttered as she stared out the door and into Wally's eyes. Wally shrugged, looking exhausted and well...dead. "Babe, your guess is as good as mine. I was just running and suddenly I'm home." Wally kept looking passed Artemis into the house like he just wanted to be let into his own home, but Artemis wouldn't let him. "How do I know that, how do I know that you're actually here, Wally? Or even if you are Wally, " Artemis' eyes began to well with tears and she looked down, not wanting to look at the ghost standing in front of her. Wally didn't know what to do, the love of his life was standing in front of him and not believing it was actually him.

"Arty...it's me. I swear, what can I do to make you believe that?" She looked up, tears in her eyes and clutching the necklace sitting gently in the middle of her chest. The tears rushing down her face made his heart break. She shook her head and began to shut the door, clutching the necklace harder and harder. Artemis was trying to wake herself up, if she just couldn't see him anymore it would possibly just be a dream, it was too good to be true. Wally was dead, her Wally was dead. Wally caught the door with his foot and finally walked into the apartment and leaned down to look into Artemis' eyes, being careful not to touch her. He didn't want to freak her out more than he already has. "Why did we name him Nelson?" Artemis asked, Wally looked shocked for a minute that she didn't push him out of the house and was asking him this question. "What?" Artemis met his eyes and they glistened with tears. "Nelson. Why is his name Nelson?" Wally stared at her before a smirk crossed his face.

"'Find your own little Spitfire, one that won't let you get away with nothin'.' Kent Nelson said that to me right before Fate took off the helmet and for the longest time I had no idea who he was talking about, but eventually after I hit myself for not realizing it sooner, he meant you. You're my Spitfire. So, because we're crazy, we decided to get a dog and because we're 'Spitfire' as M'gann likes to call us, we named our dog after Kent." Another tear fell from Artemis' eye and Wally slowly wiped the tear away and caressed the side of her face. She looked down as more tears fell and Wally lifted her face to look back into his eyes. "It's me, Babe. Wallace Rudolph West. Baywatch in the flesh." Artemis broke and pulled him into a hug, sobbing into his chest.

"I hate you." Artemis mumbled after a few minutes of crying. "I know. I love you too." Wally chuckled and she looked back up at him. "You don't get it, you've been gone for a month, a month ago today. Where were you? We all thought you were dead. Dick quit the team, Bart has been walking around in your suit and sulking. I haven't even seen Barry...or Iris. Your mom has been cooking non-stop and your dad hasn't stopped drinking. He won't stop, he's started again, your mom has tried, but…We've all been a mess, Wally." Wally sighed at Artemis' words and shook his head, "How am I going to tell them all? They all will think I'm really not there. You didn't even believe I was really here. I don't know what to do, Babe." Artemis shrugged and then smiled, "Shower." Wally chuckled and nodded, rubbing his eyes and started to walk towards the bathroom then he turned back, "You're joining me." Artemis nodded and they walked to the bathroom together. For the rest of the night they enjoyed each others company, making love, and for Wally eating a lot of hot dogs, chips, mac & cheese, soda, and Vietnamese food.

Artemis woke up to an empty bed and began to think it was all just a really vivid dream, "Baywatch?" Wally walked out of the bathroom and smiled, "Mornin'!" Artemis visibly sighed and another tear fell down her face as she closed her eyes. When she opened them Wally was sitting in front of her and grabbed her hand. "I'm here. I'm never going to leave again, I promise." Artemis nodded and climbed into his lap, hugging him and never wanted to let go. "Wally?" He looked up at her and rose his eyebrows. "Where were you?" Wally sighed and closed his eyes, shrugging he stared into Artemis' eyes. "Arty, I was in this place called the Speed Force, it's like speedsters heaven, more like hell though. It's completely white, everywhere. All you do there is run, run and run. Barry had been there once, somehow he got out, but didn't remember how. I guess I did the same. I have no idea how I got home, Babe, but I'm here."

Artemis shrugged and shook her head, like she was having a conversation with herself. "What?" Wally asked looking concerned as Artemis sat in his lap, looking up at her. "It's just, how do you show up a month from when you 'died' and at the exact moment I finish looking at the scrapbook M'gann made for us?" Wally smirked, "Why were you looking at the scrapbook?" Artemis looked surprised at the question and then looked down suddenly sad. "Oh, well. I was a mess and I...just wanted to remember you. I had been sleeping on the couch with your pillow and the scent was coming off and I just wanted to hold onto you as long as I could." Wally kissed her slowly and it was the best moment, it was the first gentle kiss they have had, one where they weren't just kissing to see if the other was really there. One where they _knew_ they were. "I'm so sorry, Arty. I didn't, mean to leave you. God, I didn't even know I died for so long. You said I was only gone for a month, it felt like years to me, decades. I missed you so much, Beautiful.

"I knew I had to come back to you though because I made a promise that I would always come back to you when you needed me. I told you all you had to do was wait. I'm here, nothing will make me leave again." Artemis nodded, "Promise?' And Wally did, just by kissing her and pinning her to the mattress. After several hours later, never leaving the bed Wally spoke, "I have to tell the team...and my family." Artemis rolled onto her side to look at him, laying her head against his shoulder and nodded. "Can you call all of them to meet us at the cave? Oh! tell them you're pregnant with Icicle Jr.'s kid!" Artemis glared at her twelve year-old boyfriend and then flicked his nose. "How about no? I'll just tell them I have news." So a half an hour later they are walking towards the zeta-tubes, hand and hand.

"Do I have to? Can't I just be dead forever?" Artemis shook her head and pulled him into the zeta-tube with her and then heard her name being announced in the Watchtower. Everyone that was there turned at the original Kid Flash B03 announcement. "Hey guys, just thought I'd drop by." They just stood there staring at him until Dick came walking towards him and shoved him against the wall, "Who the hell are you!?" Wally choked as Dick's hands tightened around his collar. Wally stumbled on his words until he quickly spit out, "Richard John Grayson! The Flying Grayson's! Asterous! Bruce Wayne! Uhhhhhh. We'll laugh about this someday?" Whelmed!" Suddenly Wally had a smirk cross his face, "You had sex with Bette." Dick immediately dropped him and stared at him in shock and then at Artemis who smiled and then back at Wally. "When did you realize you had feelings for Artemis?" Wally glared at him and then looked sheepishly at Artemis and then back at Dick. "No." Dick rose his eyebrows, daring him to move an inch, because if he did he would die...again. Wally sighed and then looked down mumbling, "Bialya." Wally looked back up at Dick who shook his head. "Fine! After she figured out the whole adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined with phase shifting thing on the mission with Kent and then Kent said the Spitfire thing and yeah…"Wally looked over at Artemis who looked shocked and then at Dick who was smiling cockily. "I hate you. You knew it was me, wow, Dick. You're such a...well, dick." Dick laughed and then Wally turned and looked at Artemis who glared at him and shook her head, "You're an idiot. That was about six months before you acted on that!" Wally shrugged and then looked at everyone else, who still were in shock and then Bart and ran up and tackled him.

The rest of the night went on pretty much like that, along with Mary, M'gann, and Iris crying and several others not believe he was Wally either. Mary really started crying though when Wally hugged her and whispered in her ear, "Wait for me to come home." Mary sobbed into his shoulder and couldn't stop until Rudolph pulled her off to hug his son himself. The night got really interesting when GA walked up to Wally with a death glare plastered on his face. "If you ever hurt my niece like that again, I will make sure you can't run away for me to punch you." Wally gulped and then looked over at Artemis, staring at her as she smiled and laughed. "I promise Ollie, I will never leave her again, I love her," Wally said as he clutched the ring box in his pocket.

 **I know this wasn't as good as the first chapter and I may keep it as a two-shot or continue writing, but I'm not sure.**


	3. Chapter 3

A week had passed since Wally proposed to Artemis. It was the best moment of Wally's life. Obviously she said yes, it went straight to Wally's ego, like everything does.

 _Artemis and Wally were walking into their apartment after the reunion, Artemis was walking towards the bedroom when she heard a loud sigh. She turned to Wally, only to see his face looking bummed, "Babe?" Artemis asked causing Wally to jump. "Yeah?" Wally asked innocently, a smile on his face. "You just sighed. Loudly." Artemis said, walking closer and glaring at him, knowing he was hiding something. "Alright. I had a plan to propose to you tonight, but I chickened out! I just-I didn't want you to say no. So, I don't know. I didn't ask!" Wally said, looking like a small child that was just hit. Then Artemis started laughing. "You're serious?" Artemis continued to laugh and laugh, but when she saw the wounded look on Wally's face and sobered up. "You thought I would say no?" Artemis said, she never thought she would see that goofy smile again, but here it is because of her._

Wally was sitting on the couch with Nelson, thinking about how he "proposed", really it didn't count, he didn't ask. He was still proud of it though, she answered the way he thought she would, like a spitfire. "Baywatch!" He heard Artemis scream from the bedroom. "Beautiful!" Wally responded and smirked when he heard her huff. A few seconds later she came out and sat on the couch with him. "When did you buy the ring? I was with you the whole time you've been back." She asked and Wally's face lost all color. "Well you see, I bought it awhile ago." Wally said, shaking a little as he saw her face change from interested to concentrated. "How long is awhile ago?" Artemis responded quickly. "About five months before I disappeared…" Wally answered, scratching the back of his head like it was no big deal. "Huh? Are you telling me that you waited that long to propose to me and technically you didn't propose to me?" Artemis interrogated Wally. Wally then nodded, "Why is that a big deal?" Artemis' face crumbled, "We wouldn't have gone back. If we were married, we wouldn't have gone back. I wouldn't have gone on that sub with Kaldur. You-" Wally cut her off by shaking his head, "Who knows what would've happened? We are both here now, right? I know you went through a lot of pain. And I'm sorry. But-" Artemis kissed him to shut him up before he full on ranted. Pulling back she said, "You're right. I'm glad you're back because now we can do some exciting activities." Artemis pushed him onto his back and the rest of the night was history.

Around two in the morning Wally went to grab some water. Ever since he got back, he couldn't sleep, like he would shut his eyes and feel wide awake. He never told Artemis, she would just make him talk to Barry, Dick, or go see a doctor. Wally didn't want to go through that, everything had to be like it was before. Stanford, Nelson, Artemis. It had to be the same, nothing could change. He knew it would though, they were gonna start a family. At least if he didn't feel the need for sleep, he'd always be on baby duty. Wally didn't know what was going on, he didn't remember Barry going through this when he got back from the speed force, but you never know what actually happened. Maybe Wally wasn't in the speed force. It could've been a whole other thing that Reach created. Wally knew he needed to find out, but right now, he just needed his Spitfire. That's all he ever needed. "Baywatch? What are you doing up?" Wally heard a voice say from the hall and jumped, dropping the glass that was filled with water, he caught it before it hit the ground and looked up at his fiancé. "Hey." Wally responded lamely, not answering her question or looking her in the eye. "When I woke up and you weren't there, I got worried." Artemis walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Sorry." Wally said plainly, grabbing a banana from the bowl behind him, "I was hungry." Artemis looked at him suspiciously, but dropped it. "Okay. Come back to bed soon," Artemis then slugged back to their room, looking at exits on her way. It was a force of habit, for them both. They were always on alert, always aware that something could happen. Right now, Wally was more alert than ever. He wanted to sleep, sure, sleep is the bodies best medicine. Really laughter is, but sleep is the next best. Wally loves sleep, but right now he couldn't do it, he just couldn't. Wally sighed and walked back to the bedroom to check if Artemis fell back asleep, she did, so he took off. It was one of the times that he just ran, just to think. Running was always fun for Wally, but it also gave him time to think and sometimes, he wouldn't think at all. Artemis would make a quip about how he doesn't think ever anyway, but she couldn't be more wrong. Wally's mind never stopped, it was as fast as his feet. He wishes he never thought at all. It just seems that when he runs, he thinks at a normal speed, it balances.

Artemis woke up again with an empty bed and she was out of bed in a _flash_. "Wally?" Artemis said every time she went into another room in their apartment, but he was no where. Artemis took a deep breath and grabbed her bow and quiver. She didn't want to over react, but she was overreacting. He probably just went to get breakfast, right? Yep, that's what he did. Artemis stood in front of the door, bow in her left hand, her right hovering over her quiver. She didn't want to take any chances. An hour later when the door swung open right after a breeze, an arrow was pointed at the culprit. Wally shrieked like a little girl when an arrow was a millimeter away from his nose. "Hello to you too, Beautiful." Wally said and pushed the arrow away from his face. "You can't just leave like that! I need a warning! A note or-" Wally cut Artemis off by holding up a note that he left on the counter, Went to get bagels and donuts. Love ya, Baywatch. "Like this note?" Wally smirked at his fiancé, knowing full well that this was going to happen. "Sorry, but you know why I'm like this. I think Nelson is too." Artemis said and bent down to let Nelson who was sniffing around Wally's feet. "It's okay, babe. But, eventually I'm gonna go back to school. Life will be normal again." Wally said taking a bite of one of the donuts, one of four dozen. "It will never be normal." Artemis mumbled.


End file.
